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NORWALK, Conn.  Five people were injured Sunday afternoon in Norwalk when their car went off the Merritt Parkway and into the woods, Norwalk firefighters said. None of the injuries appeared to be life threatening.

"The occupants were very lucky that the car's multiple air bag system helped to prevent any serious injury," Deputy Chief Edward Prescott said.

The single-car accident happened at about 4:55 p.m. between exits 38 and 40 north, Prescott said. The Mazda 3 clipped an I-beam supporting the Route 7 south/Exit 39 sign, slammed into a tree and then spun backward into the woods about 70 feet from the roadway.

Two men and three women in their late teens or early 20s were out of the vehicle when emergency crews arrived. The victims were in the woods, being tended to by neighbors and other motorists. Four were put on backboards and had neck braces put on by paramedics. They were taken to Norwalk Hospital. The driver was also taken to the hospital, Prescott said.

The damaged sign was held up by one beam, Prescott said. Traffic was reduced to one lane for about an hour as emergency crews worked. State Department of Transportation crews repaired the sign.